Communities like Stockton North will be hardest hit by job losses as a result of the Government ending support for businesses in struggling sectors said local MP Alex Cunningham today.
This comment comes as the Labour Party reveal the scale of the jobs crisis across the UK and argue that the ending of furlough support risks deepening and entrenching regional inequality.
With 105,000 people working in retail in the North East – which makes up 10% of the entire workforce in the region – and retail being the sector hardest hit by mass redundancies since the coronavirus pandemic, this has caused severe concern about the number of people that will be made unemployed in the area as a result of the Government failing to protect jobs. There have already been fears for the region with Nissan in Sunderland announcing 248 job losses in June.
Speaking about his fears for the area, Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham said:
“For more than 10 years as the Member of Parliament for Stockton North, I have raised the issue of regional inequalities, and how this impacts the health and wellbeing of people who live in areas like mine.
“Conservative Governments have issued warm words over the years, but we failed to see any real action. The unemployment rate has already soared in my community and is expected to soar even more, with retail and manufacturing hit the hardest, yet the Government do not have a plan on how to protect the livelihoods of constituents like mine.
“The inequalities that people in this region already experience will only now be deepened. Warm words will not protect local economies, and the Government seem incapable of taking meaningful action.”
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